Methods and Systems for Rendering Data Based on Overlap Characteristics

1. A method, in a printing system, for rendering a print job, said method comprising: receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements; from said first plurality of graphic-list elements, determining a second plurality of graphic-list elements, wherein said second plurality of graphic-list elements comprises all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, do not overlap and are not overlapped by any other rendered graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements; associating said second plurality of graphic-list elements with a first partition; from a third plurality of graphic-list elements comprising all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements not in said second plurality of graphic-list elements, determining a fourth plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, does not overlap with any other rendered graphic-list element in said third plurality of graphic-list elements; and associating said graphic-list elements in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements with a second partition.

2. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements, when rendered, overlaps with at least one other graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising: rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

4. The method as described in claim 3 , wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

5. The method as described in claim 3 further comprising: bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

6. The method as described in claim 5 , wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising: rendering said first partition on a first renderer; and rendering said second partition on a second renderer.

8. The method as described in claim 7 , wherein said rendering said first partition and said rendering said second partition occur substantially concurrently.

9. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising: bit-blitting said rendered first partition to a page memory; and bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

10. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein said bit-blitting said rendered first partition and said bit-blitting said rendered second partition occur substantially concurrently.

11. A printing system comprising: a graphic-list receiver for receiving a graphic list comprising a first plurality of graphic-list elements; an overlap determiner for determining if a first graphic-list element in said first plurality of graphic-list elements overlaps with another of said graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements; a non-overlap-partition partition associator for associating, when said first-graphic list element does not overlap with another of said graphic-list elements according to said overlap determiner, said first graphic-list element with a first partition; an overlap-grouping determiner for determining, from a third plurality of graphic-list elements comprising all graphic-list elements in said first plurality of graphic-list elements not in said second plurality of graphic-list elements, a fourth plurality of graphic-list elements that, when rendered, does not overlap with any other rendered graphic-list element in said third plurality of graphic-list elements; and a disjoint-overlap-partition partition associator for associating said graphic-list elements in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements with a second partition.

12. The printing system as described in claim 11 further comprising: a first renderer for rendering said first partition; and a second renderer for rendering said second partition.

13. The printing system as described in claim 12 , wherein said first renderer and said second renderer operate substantially concurrently.

14. The printing system as described in claim 12 further comprising: a page memory; a first bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered first partition to said page memory; and a second bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

15. The printing system as described in claim 14 , wherein said first bit-blitter and said second bit-blitter operate substantially concurrently.

16. The printing system as described in claim 11 , wherein said overlap-grouping determiner further comprises determining each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements so that, when rendered, said each graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements overlaps with at least one other graphic-list element in said fourth plurality of graphic-list elements.

17. The printing system as described in claim 16 further comprising: a first renderer for rendering said first partition; and a second renderer for rendering said second partition.

18. The printing system as described in claim 17 , wherein said first renderer and said second renderer operate substantially concurrently.

19. The printing system as described in claim 17 further comprising: a page memory; a first bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered first partition to said page memory; and a second bit-blitter for bit-blitting said rendered second partition to said page memory.

20. The printing system as described in claim 19 , wherein said first bit-blitter and said second bit-blitter operate substantially concurrently.